CAMFED’s Angie Murimirwa opens up about spontaneous hug from Prince Harry in Zambia

By Meaghan Wray

March 08, 2019

Angie Murimirwa was 12 years old
when she was first introduced to CAMFED (Campaign for Female Education), an organization Prince Harry visited on his recent trip to Zambia. Living in rural Zimbabwe and
having just completed primary school at the top of her class, high school was
not an option for Angie. But luckily, she had the support of the NGO ­– and now
she’s CAMFED’s executive director.

While the prince was in the
south-eastern African country on Nov. 27, he addressed the young audience, many
of whom were beneficiaries and now leaders in the charitable organization. When
HELLO! Canada caught up with Angie,
she had just one word to describe that moment: “Wow.” She continued: “It is
incredible that he’s using his power and position to be able to advance the
issues that matter – women’s empowerment through girls’ education, the issues
of youth involvement, the power of connecting … It’s incredible that he leant
his voice to that.”

"The purpose of The
@QueensComTrust is to champion, fund and connect young people as a global movement for good, with youth of today leading the way. Thank you for carrying out this vision with such pride, impact and fearlessness in pursuit of what is right." — The Duke of Sussex pic.twitter.com/OFQPNLfeqB

Prince Harry, 34, has always held the
beautiful continent close to his heart, and focuses much of his outreach there,
just like his mom Princess Diana did. In his speech that day, he said: “You have filled this place with song
and your optimism is infectious — what a wonderful introduction to your work. I
know my wife, Meghan, had a wonderful meeting with Angeline Murimirwa from your
team this past spring, and sends her very best wishes to you all.” But what
came after his moving speech, Angie shared, was totally unexpected.

“One of the reasons why we really
enjoyed having him here at that event is that he was very genuine and sincere,”
she gushed. “[It] was spontaneous, all the [photos] that you see were
spontaneous. They were not pre-planned. So, that really means a lot … It was
beautiful.” Another unexpected treat was a hug from the dad-to-be himself, who
generously took the time to greet everyone there. “When he gave me the hug, one
thing that he said was that he was going to relay back [to Duchess Meghan] that
we had met … and that he was very proud of what we were doing and to continue.”

The Queen’s Commonwealth Trust is
only a year old and already creating a valuable space for young voices to be
heard. And it’s no surprise that the trust is an avid supporter of CAMFED,
which aims to eradicate poverty by supporting marginalized girls so they can go
to school.

Although Duchess Meghan couldn’t be
there by her husband’s side to support the cause, CAMFED’s CEO Lucy Lake knows
just how much their mission aligns with Meghan’s values, as she’s shown
“through the public speeches she’s been giving and bringing the issues into a
wider agenda, particularly around girls and women’s empowerment,” she said. “The
connections they’re making between young peoples’ organizations is phenomenal,
as much as is the spotlight they’re bringing.”

Don't miss a beat with HELLO! Canada's Daily Hits newsletter, your daily dose of royal and celebrity news, fashion, weddings and more.
CLICK HERE to sign up for free!